Plan International

Founded in 1937, Plan International is one of the world’s leading organizations for children with more than 80 years of experience in the field. It strives to advance children’s rights and equality for girls all over the world. Plan International recognizes the power and potential of every single child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected. Plan is active in 71 countries and have reached 17.1 million girls and 15.5 million boys in 2016.

As an independent development and humanitarian organization, Plan International works alongside children, young people, supporters and partners to tackle the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. It supports children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and enables children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. Plan International drives changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using their reach, experience and knowledge.

Working with children and communities: Plan supports children and communities to play an active role in their own development – to take action together to achieve change on issues that affect their lives.

Tackling gender inequality and exclusion: wherever Plan works, Plan identifies individuals who are particularly excluded from social opportunities and who face even greater barriers in accessing their human and child rights. Plan works with them to identify and tackle the underlying root causes of their exclusion. Plan’s particular emphasis is on women and girls who are often the most marginalized individuals in a community.

Engaging with civil society: Plan works with other organizations to achieve the greatest possible change for children and communities. By working in partnership with local organizations, they empower them to help realise the rights of local communities for years to come.

Influencing government: Plan works to support positive long-lasting change for girls and boys by influencing what national and local governments do and how they work. Plan works with children and communities to advocate for laws that protect their rights.

Strengthening Plan’s accountability: Plan listens to children and young people’s voices to ensure that their programs are responding to their needs. Children’s views are critical to how Plan delivers their programs, making their work more relevant and sustainable, and allowing children to be active agents of change in their own development. As duty bearers of children’s rights, they are fully accountable to the children they work with.